Metal-pouring apparatus for centrifugal casting machines



Nov. 26, 1929. 1,737,459 7 METAL POURING APPARATUS FOR CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINES J. E. HURST ET AL Filed 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 26, 1929. J. E. HURST ET AL 1,737,459

METAL I OURING APPARATUS FOR CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 26, 1929 UNITED- STATES. PATENT Fol-"Flea JAMES EDGAR BURST, or THonNcLr'FF ENGLAND, AND EDMUND BRUCE 'BALn'oN KILMARNOCK, SCOTLAND, AssIeNons To cnNTnIFUGAL cAsTINGs LIMITED, or KILMARNOCK, scoTLAND, A REGISTERED COMPANY or GREAT BRITAIN ltlIETAL-ZEOURING APPARATUS FOR CE NTItIFUGAL CASTING MACHINES Application file d'DecemberB, 1928, Serial No. 323,463, and in Great Britain January 4, 1928.

This invention relates'to metal pouring apparatus for centrifugal casting machines of the kind in which molten metal from the reservoir is supplied to a trough-like member, and in particular to -a trough having aweir edge which varies in height along the length of the trough so that when the trough is partially rotated the molten metal is progressively deposited from one end of the mould to the other without relative longitudinal movement between the mould and the trough.

In producing castingsby means of such apparatus it is important to ensure that a constant quantity of metal is deposited in a given unit of time, i. e. that metal should issue from the pouring trough at constant ?stream velocity, and the object of this inven? tion is to provlde an apparatus which will enable this result to be obtained without having to make use of a specially shaped ladle or reservoir such as has hitherto been proposed.

According to this invention the carrier of the reservoir or ladle is so mounted that it can be tilted at a varying rate in such a way that'molten metal is delivered to the pouring trough at a constant streamvelocity throughoutthe tipping operation, although the res ervoir or ladleis of normal cross-section. It will be appreciated thatinitially it is' desirable to impart a rapid tipping movement to the ladle untila stream of metal begins to issue therefrom. Thereafter the speed at which the ladle is tilted can, for a certain period, he at a slower and constant rate, but as the ladle empties, i. e. as the level of the molten metal therein falls, it is necessary to tip the ladle more rapidly so as to maintain a constant streamivelocity. i

The particular means employed to obtain the desired result will vary in accordance with the type of tipping apparatus employed, but when, as is preferred, the ladle or its car- 1 rier is tilted by means of some pressure operp by the position of the ladle, so that the lat :ter is tipped ata speed such that the molten metal is delivered to the pouring trough at ing a constant velocity throughout the tipping trough, so that the ladle carrier is capable oi vertical adjustment:

Further, adjustable stops are provided either upon the track along-which the carriage travels, or on the propelling mechanism for the carriage so as to limit the extent to which the spout enters the mould. I

One construction of apparatus according to this invention is illustrated somewhat diagrammatically by Way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation partly in sec tion of the carrier for the reservoinand pourtrough before the reservoir is tipped,

Figure 2 is a similar View showing the parts on completion of the tipping operation, and i scale of the valve controlled by the tipping movement of the carrier.

In the construction illustrated the apparatus comprises a carriage upon wheels A and adapted to be moved towards or away from the mould (not shown) along rails A? by. means of the rod B' of a ram actuated by fluid under pressure in a fixed cylinder B. i

Figure ,3 is a sectional plan on an enlarged or truck A mounted I v 00 Rotatably mounted 1n supportlng stan-' in the example illustrated can be rotated in either direction by means ofop positely wound wire ropes 1Q D actuated by separate pressure operatedrams, not shown. Near the rear end of the carriage is provided a pair of standards furnished with guides E in which supports F for the trunnions G of a tilting carrier G'can be vertically adjusted by means of screwthreaded shafts F The carrier G comprises a frame or cradle adapted to receive a ladle or reservoir H of normal cross-section, the carrier being tilted upon the trunnions G by means of a bell cranklever J pivoted toone of the standards E at E One arm of the bell crank lever J is connected throughan adjustable link J to the carrier and the other arm is connected by a link K to the rod K of a hydraulically operated ram working in a cylinder K mounted on the carriage A. As the link J is adjustable in length, the carrier and the ladle. it carries will be tilted by the movement of the rod K whatever the vertical position of the trunnions G Within the guides E In order that the reservoir may be tilted at a varying rate so that the molten metal is delivered to the pouring trough E at a constant stream velocity throughout the tipping operation despite the fact that the reservoir or ladle is of normal cross-section, the pipe M through which liquid under pressure is supplied to the cylinder K is provided with a regulating needle valve M in addition to an ordinary hand-operated control valve N. The carrier G is operatively connected to the regulatng valve M so that the movement of the carrier will control the efifective position of this valve. In the construction illustrated a slotted arm L rigidly mounted on the carrier has adjustably mounted upon it a hollow swivel L through which canfreely slide the upper end of the regulating valve actuating lever I As will be seen from Figures -1 and 2, when the swivel has been secured in the desired position on the arm L within the slot therein, the tilting movement of the carrier will control the efiective position of the needle valve M and thus so regulate the supply of fluid under pressure to the cylinder K that the reservoir will be tilted at the correct rate to ensure a constant stream velocity throughout the tipping operation.

The molten metal from the reservoir is conducted to the trough C by means of an intermediate and preferably detachable bridging trough O which may be furnished with any suitable device for removing scum from the surface of the metal before it reaches the pouring trough.

It will be appreciated that if the initial and subsequent stream velocity is increased, the trough does not project so far into the mould as when the stream velocity is reduced, so that it is essential for the relative positions of the trough and the mould to be precisely determined in accordance with this stream velocity. To this end the rod B by means of which the travel of the carriage towards and away from the trough is effected is of adjustable length, e. g. it is furnished with a scrcwthreaded portion indicated at B and locking means indicated at B are provided to maintain the correct adjustment after this has been determined within fine limits.

Any suitable means may be employed to rotate the trough at a speed which is dependcut on the rate at which the ladle is tilted, in some cases a single prime mover being employed to effect the tilting of the reservoir and the rotation of the trough with or without some variable speed gear to adjust the relationship between the movement of these two members.

It will be appreciated that although the pouring device according to this invention is preferably movable as a whole relatively to the mould in the manner above described, in some cases the mould may be longitudinally movable and the pouring ladle and trough stationary in which case adjustable stop mechanism is provided to determine the pouring position of the mould with relation to the trough, i. e. to limit its longitudinal movement towards the pouring trough with relation to the pouring velocity, in all cases whatever the motive power employed provision being made for the molten metal from the ladle or reservoir being delivered to the trough at a constant stream velocity irrespective of the height of the pivots about which the ladle carrier is turned and with a reservoir of normal cross-section.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In metal pouring apparatus for centrifugal casting machines the combination of a pouring trough, a carrier for a molten metal reservoir of normal cross-section'mounted adjacent to the trough so as to tip the molten metal contained in the reservoir into the trough, a pressure-operated ram for tipping the carrier, a valve controlling the supply of pressure fluid to the ram, and an operative connection between the carrier and the valve such that the carrier is tipped at a speed which delivers molten metal to the pouring trough at a constant rate throughout the pouring operation.

2. In metal pouring apparatus for centrifugal casting machines the combination of a truck, a pouring trough mounted on said truck, vertical standards adjacent to the pouring trough, a tipping carrier for a molten metal reservoir of normal cross-section mounted on trunnions within said standards, means for varying the vertical position of the trunnions within the standards, a prime mover on the truck,for tipping the carrier, a controller for said prime mover, and an operative connection between the controller and the carrier such that molten metal is delivered to the pouring trough at a constant rate throughout the tipping operation.

3. In metal pouring apparatus for centrifugal casting machines the combination of a truck, a pouring trough mounted on said truck, vertical standards mounted on the truck adjacent to the pouring trough, a carrier for a reservoir of normal cross-section containing molten metal mounted on trunnions within said standards, means for varying the vertical position of the trunnions within the standards, a pressure-operated ram for tipping the carrier mounted on the truck, a valve controlling the supply of pressure fluid to the ram, and an operative connection between the carrier and the'valve such that the carrier is tipped at a speed which delivers molten metal to the pouring trough at a constant rate throughout the pouring operation whatever the vertical height of the trunnions about which the carrier is tilted. v

4. In metal pouring apparatus for centrifugal casting machines the combination of a truck, a pouring trough mounted on said truck, vertical standards mounted on the truck adjacent to the pouring trough, a carrier for a reservoir of normal cross-section containing molten metal mounted on trunnions within said standards, means for varying' the vertical position of the trunnions within the standards, means for moving the truck towards or away from the mould, means on the truck for determining the initial position of the pouring trough within the mould, a pressure-operated ram for tipping the carrier mounted on the truck, a valve controlling the supply of pressure fluid to the ram. and an operative connection between the carrier and the valve such that the carrier is tipped at a speed which delivers molten metal to the pouring trough at a constant rate throughout the pouring operation whatever the vertical height of the trunnions about which the carrier is tilted.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

' JAMES EDGAR HURST. EDMUND BRUCE BALL. 

